The present invention relates to the field of surgery, and more particularly to a device and method that are used to position a patient during a surgical procedure.
During various orthopedic surgical procedures, there is a need to properly position a patient, including a limb, for the procedure. Some procedures require that the patient or patient""s limb be re-positioned during different parts of the procedure. One method of positioning patients during surgical procedures has been the use of an assistant surgeon or other trained personnel to manually hold, maneuver, and maintain a patient in a desired position. However, this method has several disadvantages including the costs involved with using additional operating room personnel and the fact that it is difficult for a person to hold and maintain a desired position for the length of time required for the procedure to be performed.
Currently, there are several devices that are available to surgeons that aid in properly positioning a patient for surgery. However, many of these devices are fixed devices in the sense that they are positioned, secured, or mounted manually on an operating table prior to the start of the surgical procedure. Once the procedure begins, such devices cannot be easily moved, adjusted, or re-positioned. Thus, if a surgical procedure requires that the patient be re-positioned during different parts of the procedure, the surgery must be temporarily halted while the patient positioning device is moved or hand-adjusted, typically through the use of thumbscrews, levers, sliding bars, and the like.
Mechanically, electrically, or hydraulically-driven devices have also been suggested. For example, Zahiri et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,079, teach an apparatus for holding, maneuvering, and maintaining a body part of a patient during surgery. One embodiment of the device physically straps the upper leg and foot of a patient to supports that are movable using motor driven gears that provide lateral, tilting, and swinging movement. However, such a device is mechanically complex and requires sterilization of portions of the device that are located in the sterile operating field. Further, once the patient is strapped into the device, manual positioning of the leg is not possible.
Accordingly, the need still exists in the art for a patient positioning device and method that are simple in construction, easy to install and position, and that can be used outside the sterile operating field.
The present invention addresses those needs by providing a patient positioning device and method of operation that is simple in construction, is easy to install, is positioned outside the sterile operating field, yet permits the surgeon to readily position, adjust, and re-position a patient during a surgical procedure.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a patient positioning device is provided and includes a support adapted to be positioned against a predetermined portion of a patient""s body; a drive mechanism for moving the support along a generally linear path; a source of power for the drive mechanism; a bracket for mounting the drive mechanism to an operating table; and a remote device for actuating the drive mechanism.
In a preferred form, the support is padded to provide additional comfort for a patient. In one embodiment, the support is generally cylindrical in shape. The support may be adapted to be positioned against any predetermined portion of a patient""s body. In one embodiment of the invention, the support is designed to be positioned against the foot of a patient.
The drive mechanism may comprise a number of electrically, hydraulically, or pneumatically operated devices. In one embodiment of the invention, the drive mechanism comprises a linear actuator. In a preferred form, the support includes an extension, preferably angled, and the drive mechanism is coupled to the extension. Preferably, the extension includes means for adjusting the height of the support. In one embodiment of the invention, the means include a plurality of generally spaced openings on the extension and a pin for releasably locking the extension in a predetermined position through such spaced openings.
The device of the present invention provides convenience for the surgeon by permitting remote operation of the drive mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the remote device comprises a foot-operated switch. The present invention also provides a method for positioning a patient during a surgical procedure comprising positioning a patient on an operating table; positioning a movable support against a predetermined portion of a patient""s body outside of the sterile operating field; causing the support to move by actuating a drive mechanism to provide linear movement of the support to cause the patient to move to an optimal position for a surgical procedure.
In a preferred embodiment, the movable support is positioned against the patient""s foot. Movement of the support causes flexing of the patient""s knee to an optimal position for a surgical procedure. Depending on the surgical procedure to be performed, the support may be moved to a second position during the surgical procedure. Additional movement of the support during surgery is possible, depending upon the need for re-positioning of the patient.
Accordingly, it is a feature of the present invention to provide a patient positioning device and method of operation that is simple in construction, is easy to install, is positioned outside the sterile operating field, yet permits the surgeon to readily position, adjust, and re-position a patient during a surgical procedure. These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.